Re: GNU licenses

[David Kastrup]

John Hasler <john@dhh.gt.org> writes:

> David Kastrup writes:
>> "I found it on some server" does not make you the owner of a copy in
>> any manner that "I found it on the street" makes you the owner of a
>> copy of a book.
>
> "Finding it on some server" involves creating a copy on your
> computer.  If you own the computer you own the copy.

Not at all.  Putting a found book into my bag does not imply that
owning the bag makes me own the book.

Either I have been making the copy as an agent of the party owning the
server, and I can't become an agent of that party without any
appropriate agreement, or I have made the copy without permission.  In
the latter case, I have no rights concerning that copy.

> Of course, you have no right to make copies of that copy, so the
> only way to transfer the copy is to sell your computer.

You'll find that selling any media or hardware (including a complete
computer) preloaded is not one of the rights somebody who has hacked
and downloaded a copy of anything onto his computer has acquired in
the process.

Really.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum